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What was the main goal of the Crusades?

The primary goal of the Crusades was to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. The Holy Land referred to Palestine (the region of Western Asia where Israel had been located), and Christians believed it was holy because Jesus had lived and been crucified there. Moreover, the Church held that Jerusalem was the birthplace of Christianity. Consequently, the Holy Land contained many important religious sites; for instance, Helena--Emperor Constantine's mother--had built a church at the location she believed Christ had been crucified.


However, Muslims had invaded Palestine during the 7th and 8th centuries and had taken over all the holy sites. By the time of the First Crusade, the Muslims were also threatening the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople--the headquarters of the Eastern Church. The Crusades were meant to reverse the Muslim advance, preserve Christendom, and reclaim the Holy Land.

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